Fisheries and wildlife administration

PSM
Online
delivery
$609 Based on current tuition rates. No additional charge for nonresident students. Does not include course materials and associated fees and expenses.†
per credit
4 This program starts in Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer terms.§
start terms

Accelerate your career and make a difference for fish, wildlife and the environment when you earn a Professional Science Master’s in Fisheries and Wildlife Administration degree online from Oregon State University. This scientifically rigorous program provides advanced training and will prepare you to research, design and lead projects that are critical to solving today’s natural resource issues.

You’ll study core topics such as ecological restoration, habitat management, environmental law and agricultural ecosystems and work with your advisor to choose courses that will prepare you for the career you want. All classes are developed by Oregon State faculty who are known worldwide for their research, expertise and innovation in natural resources and science fields.

Skills you’ll gain in OSU’s online fisheries and wildlife administration PSM program

As a student in Oregon State’s online PSMFWA degree program, you’ll gain the in-demand skills you need to stand out in the job market and level up your career. You’ll learn from an internationally recognized group of scientific professionals who have real-world experience in the field.

  • Wildlife behavior
  • Ecological field methods
  • Fishery biology
  • Principles of wildlife diseases
  • Habitat conservation
  • Invasive species
  • Aquaculture
  • Wildlife population monitoring
  • Managing wildlife in agricultural ecosystems
A male and female Chinook salmon jump out of the water as they swim upstream in a fast-flowing river

Program details

This degree program is designed for professionals who want to advance their careers in fields like biology, ecological management, environmental policy and natural resource management. Advanced coursework will prepare you to conduct research, communicate your findings clearly and lead complex ecological and environmental projects.

The PSMFWA program is offered by Oregon State's nationally renowned Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Degree requirements

A total of 45 quarter credits is required to graduate with your Professional Science Master’s in Fisheries and Wildlife Administration degree. Degree requirements and curriculum information are available on Oregon State's academic catalog.

A red deer stag with large antlers stands in a frosty meadow at sunrise.

Additional program features

To complete this program, you must complete a written capstone paper or participate in an internship with a natural resource agency, business, non-governmental organization or research institute directly related to your study area. Internships must be designed to be full-time and last three months or more (about 500 hours).

Visit the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences' website for complete internship details, or view the program curriculum for details on courses FW 510 and FW 506.

State of Colorado: This program requires an internship. Although Oregon State University participates in the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA), due to Colorado’s Workers’ Compensation Act, we have limited authorization to offer programs that require internships in the state of Colorado. The Colorado internship site must provide workers’ compensation. In some cases, a proposed internship site may not provide workers’ compensation insurance and, as a result, is not available as an internship site. Please contact Shannon Riggs, associate vice provost for educational programs and learning innovation, with questions.

Explore the detailed admissions information for the Fisheries and Wildlife Administration PSM program, including any application deadlines and required documents, on the Oregon State Graduate School website.

Students are admitted to this program four times per year, and you can begin your studies in fall, winter, spring or summer. Visit Oregon State's academic calendar for term start dates.

Oregon State makes it possible for you to apply the credits you earn in OSU's online graduate certificates in fisheries management or in wildlife management directly toward the master’s degree in fisheries and wildlife administration. Up to 22 graduate credits may be transferred toward a 45-credit master’s degree.

The Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences strongly recommends that prospective PSM students first enroll in either the fisheries management or wildlife management graduate certificate programs. However, please be aware that completing the certificate does not guarantee admission to the PSMFWA program. Please contact the PSMFWA program coordinator about starting in other graduate certificate programs offered at OSU.

You can gain highly specialized skills that are in demand by employers — and do it with less of a time and financial commitment — when you earn a certificate or microcredential online from Oregon State. Choose from a large collection of short-form offerings that can help you upskill quickly.

Fisheries and wildlife administration careers

The knowledge you acquire in Oregon State’s online PSMFWA degree program will help you fill in-demand jobs in the global marketplace. You’ll graduate ready to showcase your abilities and provide insights for natural resources agencies, non-governmental organizations and other entities in search of experts in fisheries and wildlife science.

Job market outlook

Use the interactive tool on this page to discover employment trends, top occupations and salary details for professionals who have skills related to fisheries and wildlife administration. Please be aware that completing a program related to the job market information shown here does not guarantee employment or a specific salary.